Relatively Normal
by SupremeofCali
Summary: Beth Preston was a normal girl who grew up in the Midwest. During her senior year of college, she witnessed a man changed into something animalistic. After experiencing a personal tragedy, she begins to move from place to place every few months until one day she meets up with an old college friend in Portland. Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1: The Prestons

About twenty-four years ago, Michael and Lily Preston received good news.

A newborn girl was going to complete their family.

Despite having a strong desire to have a child of their own, they had been unable to conceive. Thus they were overjoyed when they first held her. They named her Elisabeth.

* * *

At the age of four, Elisabeth was a towhead with golden eyes. She loved ballet and fingerpainting. With the resources accessible to the Prestons, the couple gave her the best possible education and encouraged her to pursue the arts.

* * *

As the years flew by her passion for dance had evolved into a zeal for athletics. Elisabeth tried them all; from soccer when she was in kindergarten to swim when she was in high school. She was constantly on the move. She needed to or she felt like she would implode. One of the ways she relieved her boundless energy was by running.

On the day of her high school graduation, her emotional mother hugged her. "I can't believe how fast you grew up." Lily sobbed. Her little Elisabeth now went by Beth. She stood at five foot six. Her white blonde hair had darkened to a caramel shade that was similar to the color of her eyes.

Beth smiled, "Mom, it's just high school graduation!" She squeezed her mother's hand as the camera her father was holding flashed.

"Michael! Don't take a picture of me crying!" Protested Lily as she wiped her tears from her cheeks.

"Ok, one more." Chuckled Michael.

Beth hugged her mom tightly as her dad took the photo.

* * *

Two months later, Beth moved from her home state of Idaho to California to go to University. Over the course of three years, she changed her major three times and switch between track and swim. Finally she decided to major in Studio Art and Art History.

Before starting her senior year, she moved off campus with four of her closet friends. While she wasn't on any of the athletic teams this year, she continued to be close with some of her teammates. One in particular was her dearest friend, Jessica.

It was the day before the first day of classes, Beth was in a bar with her roommates discussing plans after graduation. Just a few feet away from them, a fight between two men began. As Beth jumped up from her seat to back away, one of the men morphed into something else. His nose was flat and his lower jaw protruded, revealing sharp canines.

Beth covered her mouth in shock to muffle a scream. The creature make eye contact with her. "Grimm." He hissed before lunging at her. Two men grabbed him as Jessica's boyfriend pulled her backwards. "Let's go." He said.

As the group left the bar, Jessica leaned towards her. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes were watering, but she nodded.

"Are you crying?"

"No, no." Beth said. "I mean, it was just a shock."

"Ya, he started going for you!" Jessica exclaimed. "Do you even know him?"

Beth shook her head. "No, I don't."

* * *

As the months progressed, she saw more abnormalities.

Every night Beth was online trying to figure out what was wrong with her. The only thing that made sense was onset schizophrenia. Pride and fear kept her from opting to see a psychiatrist. Jogging became an outlet for her stress and drawing the monsters helped ease her fear. Slowly she began to accept the fact that she had nothing to fear. Although the faces were disturbing, they weren't demonic. The only bad encounter she had was her first encounter.

Yet, right before final exams as she began to walk to her front door after a night of studying at the library. Something knocked the wind out of her. She barely had time to react to her attack. She knew it wasn't human. She was screaming at the top of her lungs.

Her roommates ran out. Immediately one of their boyfriends ran to her defense only to end up spending several nights in the hospital as a result. The police questioned Beth about the attack. They concluded it was a random attack. Without any evidence to go off of, her assailant was still on the loose.

The attack caused Beth wondered if what she was seeing was real in some way. Could her attack have happened because she was seeing these strange faces?

A month later, she was in South America with her friends celebrating their graduation. Jessica looked over her shoulder as she drew in her sketchbook. "What's that?"

"Just a face." Beth shrugged. She paused and looked at her sketch of the human oddity she had seen the other day.

"I miss your old artwork." Mumbled Jessica as she started to play with Beth's hair.

Beth nodded in agreement. "It's just a phase."

After a moment, Jessica spoke up. "Hey, I was thinking, I know you're adopted, but do you know your real parents?"

Beth shook her head. "No. I mean, I guess it something I think about once in a while, but my parents were always enough for me."

Jessica ruffled Beth's hair. "C'mon. Let's go to the pool and get drinks."

Before having the chance to change clothes, she got a phone call at the front desk. There had been a gas leak in her house the night before. Her parents had died.

It was an awful feeling. She was an orphan.

She sobbed uncontrollably as her friends tried their best to comfort her. The next day she was on a plane back home where her extended family and friends greeted her with support. In spite of the sympathy she received, she felt numb. It didn't feel real.

In a matter of days, she was attending the funeral for her parents. A friend of her mother's was crying and her face became disfigured. As she scanned the guests, she saw a handful of other creatures. One stood out in particular. It looked similar to whatever had attacked her at school.

Beth knew whatever was happening was not good. She began to wonder if her parents' death wasn't an accident anymore. The thought overwhelmed her. Any feeling of security she had vanished. A few hours after the funeral, Beth left her hometown, knowing that she would die if she stayed there much longer.

* * *

After three years of being a vagabond, she was greeted warmly by Jessica after going off the Greyhound bus. "It's been too long!" She squeezed Beth tightly.

As they drove back to their hotel, they caught up on each other lives. Jessica was working on establishing her career in Eugene while Beth traveled and sold her artwork. Being reunited with Jessica was refreshing. She hadn't realized how much she had missed her until Jessica had called her several months ago asking if she would want to attend her cousin's wedding with her. "Are you sure they won't think we're lesbians?" Quipped Beth.

Jessica snorted. "Probably, but I know you like to travel and you haven't been to Oregon yet and we're long overdue for a reunion!"


	2. Chapter 2: Tea Time

After unpacking and settling into her room, Jessica and Beth had lunch on the main street. Portland had a quaint charm that Beth appreciated. The air was crisp and refreshing. Few places had the magical quality of feeling earthy and urban at the same time.

"It's weird she's getting married." Jessica repeated again. "I mean she's five years older than me. I can't imagine getting married in five years!"

"Haven't they been together forever?"

She nodded. "Forever is an understatement. I was actually surprised when they got engaged. I thought they'd be one of those couples that never married, like Brad and Angelina."

"I guess it was the right time." Beth stated as their waiter brought their checks back.

"Hey, are you feeling tired at all? I have a little food baby, but –"

"You want to explore?" Beth finished her sentence with a smile. "I'd love to."

* * *

"You're killin' me, Smalls." Huffed Jessica as she kept up with Beth's brisk pace. "God I need to work on my cardio."

Beth laughed. "What? The captain of the swim team is out of breath? We've only been walking for 45 minutes!"

"Let's just explore one of the shops and sit down for a minute."

Looking around the street they were on, two buildings stuck out to Beth. One was a CVS that seemed out of place among the privately-owned businesses. The other building was the Exotic Spice & Tea Shop. "Let's go in there. We can have some tea and then have a siesta after." Jessica breathed.

After crossing the street, they were greeted by a smiling pregnant woman as they entered the shop. She was helpful and asked if they needed anything special. Jessica paused. "Wait, Rosalee, right?"

The woman looked at Jessica curiously. "Gosh, you're one of Juliette's bridesmaids! I'm sorry, but I forgot your name!"

Jessica had a knack for starting long conversations with strangers. The two ended up talking for quite some time, so Beth took the liberty of browsing through the store. After reading several labels that were unfamiliar to her, Beth turned to the register. An old book with yellowing pages **_laid_** open.

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Asked Jessica.

"My husband knows because he was too excited, but I don't. I want to be surprised." The woman beamed. "It's our first."

With a furrowed brow, Beth stared at a drawing of an animalistic human face. Never before had she seen documentation of the creatures before. The book looked like it was written in German. Her heart was pounding as she flipped through a few of the pages. The pictures were so familiar, but the descriptions were lost in translation.

"Excuse me?" Beth turned around, interrupting the conversation between the two women. "Where did you get this book?"

"Oh!" The pregnant woman walked over to the register. "It's a family heirloom."

Jessica walked up to the register. "What book?"

"What does it say?" Beth asked eagerly.

"It's an old folklore book about alternative medicine."

"And it's German, right?"

"Yes, I think it was inspired by the Grimm fairytales."

"Fairytales." Echoed Beth.

Upon seeing the book, Jessica exclaimed. "So weird. The pictures look like yours, Beth."

The woman's head perked up. "You're an artist?"

"Um, yes, but—" Beth's mind was going a mile a minute. She struggled with what to ask the woman. "Can you tell me more about the book? Or where I can find one?"

The woman laughed. "Wait, I'm so sorry. I got so caught up in conversation, but what's your name?"

"Oh! I'm Beth." She held out her hand. "Beth Preston."

"Pleasure to meet you." The woman shook her hand. "I'm Rosalee."

"I'm so sorry I forgot to introduce you two!" Apologized Jessica.

"It's fine!" Rosalee assured. "Are you two going to the rehearsal dinner tomorrow?"

"Ya, she's my _date_!" Jessica joking said flirtatiously as she raised her eyebrows. "Isn't that right Bethie Boo?"

"In a totally heterosexual way." Beth rolled her eyes before playfully elbowing Jessica.

Jessica snorted and turned to Rosalee. "So I guess we'll see you there."

Gasping, Rosalee grabbed her belly. "Woah!"

Beth stepped back as the woman's face rippled. "Sorry, the little one is quite a kicker." Laughed Rosalee as she looked at the women.

As quickly as the transformation occurred, it disappeared. Rosalee's expression had momentarily as Beth pulled away. Completely unaware of the fox-like lady in front of them, Jessica carried on the conversation.

"Oh, but anyway, do you serve tea here or just sell it?"

"Oh, um, we only sell it here, but I do have something I think you'll both enjoy." Rosalee stated before leaving to pick out the perfect tea for the pair.

* * *

After Beth and Jessica left the shop, Rosalee went to the back of the store to call her husband. "Hey honey!" He answered.

"Hi, something just happened."

"Are you having the baby right now?" Asked Monroe in excitement.

Rosalee chuckled. "No! You still have another two months!"

He sighed. "Bummer. What happened?"

"These two women came into the shop just 15 minutes ago. They're here for the wedding. One of them is Juliette's cousin, Jessica, and the other one is a friend, Beth. When I was introducing myself to Beth, the baby kicked."

"What's weird about that?" Monroe questioned.

"It was a really unexpected kick and I woged. The friend is a Grimm. She saw me woge."

Monroe was silent.

"Honey?"

"Could she be a relative of Nick's somehow?" Monroe asked. "How did she react to you woging?"

"I don't think she knows that she's a Grimm."

"How do you know that?"

Rosalee paused, trying to think of Beth's reaction. "She looked scared. Taken aback."

"So there's another Grimm in Portland. She doesn't realize she's a Grimm and she's not related to Nick." Monroe recapped. "We need to tell Nick."

"I agree." Rosalee stated as the shop's bell jingled. "Oh, hey. I got a costumer, but let's tell Nick tonight."


	3. Chapter 3: On the Table

Monroe and Rosalee sat on their sofa across from Nick. The Grimm had just heard the news of another one of his kind being in Portland. "What's her name?" He asked.

"Beth." Rosalee said. "She's friends with Juliette's cousin, Jessica."

Nick nodded thoughtfully. "And you're sure she saw you?"

"Positive." Confirmed Rosalee. "We thought it was best that you know. I don't think she's dangerous…"

"Since she doesn't know she's a Grimm." Monroe added, finishing Rosalee's thought.

An exasperated looked was on Nick's face. "How could she not know?"

"Well, you didn't know anything about being a Grimm. Maybe it's a similar story."

"Maybe she isn't on good terms with her family?" Guessed Rosalee, thinking of when she lost contact with her own.

"But if it's true that she has no knowledge of what's happening."

"She probably thinks she's insane." Mumbled Rosalee.

"But should we tell her? We don't know her." Monroe added. "She doesn't know us. How can she trust us?"

Nick sighed. "Right."

"Maybe you should ask Hank." Rosalee proposed.

Nick thought of his partner, Hank, who thought he was going crazy after seeing a Wildermann woge back to its human form. Hank had questioned his mental state. It wasn't until they were saving Carly Kampfer that the truth was revealed to Hank.

The biggest problem with the situation had been that Hank knew Nick for years and still thought Nick was going crazy when he admitted to seeing Wesen. If Nick was to reveal the woman's true identity to herself, she would definitely think Nick was insane. There was no way to ensure the woman would eventually come to believe that Wesen weren't just fairytales.

"There's no way she'll believe this." Monroe said.

"I could talk to her." Rosalee said. "At the dinner tomorrow."

"Don't you think it should be more private?" Monroe asked his wife. "Imagine hearing this news."

"She didn't scream when I woged. She's a tough one."

"As long as there's not a scene." Nick stated. "But why should we tell her? Why should we trust her?"

"We're lucky she isn't an Endezeichen Grimm." Reasoned Rosalee. "It'd be better for the community if she was influenced and guided by you rather than an Endezeichen."

"But the likelihood of her actually becoming a Endeze—" Monroe started.

Rosalee interrupted. "Yes, but Nick, I think Hank's opinion would be helpful. He felt crazy when he saw Wesen woging. Can you imagine how this woman feels? She feels crazy, but she's not. Wouldn't you want someone to validate that what you're seeing isn't just in your head? She's at risk without even knowing what she is."

The three thought for a moment. Nick spoke up first. "You're right."

"But how should we tell her?" Asked Monroe.

Nick stood up. "I'm not sure yet. I'm going to call Juliette, found out Beth's name and see what I can find about her. We'll regroup tomorrow."

After hearing about Beth, Juliette made a quick seating change to the bridal shower tables by placing her cousin and Beth next to Rosalee and Monroe's seats. Luckily for her, it wasn't too much of a hassle since Jessica was one of her bridesmaids. If fact the change might have worked out of the best since it meant Hank and Wu would have to sit with her friends from college. Perhaps something would blossom from the new arrangement.

However, since she and Nick had wanted their wedding to be stress-free, they opted to have the dinner at her parents' house instead of a restaurant. It was more casual, so there was no seating chart. Nick had discussed with Monroe and Rosalee that if possible they should try to sit with Jessica and Beth. Hank was also in on the plan. As soon as the two women had got a drink at the bar, Rosalee and Monroe 'bumped' into them. "Hi!" Rosalee said. "How are you two?"

"We're good!" Said Jessica. "How are you?"

"Wonderful. Oh, Monroe! This is Jessica, Juliette's cousin and her friend, Beth. Jessica and Beth, this is my husband, Monroe."

Monroe shook their hands. "Nice to meet you both."

After some small talk, Rosalee asked, "Are you two sitting anywhere yet? We just got here a while ago and don't have a table yet."

"No." Beth said. "Not yet."

"Oh! Honey, there's Hank. Let's sit with him." Rosalee pointed to the Grimm's partner before turning to the two friends. "Would you like to join us?"

"Yes, that would be wonderful" Jessica said.

After the four sat down, Hank introduced himself to the two women and explained how Nick was his partner. Soon Juliette's mother announced that dinner was ready in the kitchen. The guests made a beeline for the kitchen. Since Hank was in on the plan, he didn't rush back to the table. In order to keep Jessica away, Juliette asked her to come help her with some bridal issue. As a result, Beth was the first one to get back to the table. "Are you going to be eating anything?" She asked when she noticed Rosalee had stayed at the table.

"Oh, yes. I was standing on my feet all day, so Monroe is getting me a plate." Explained Rosalee before commenting on the food. "That looks delicious!"

"I know! I'm so hungry! There's nothing better than a home cooked meal." Beth grabbed her fork. "Do you mind if I eat?"

"Not at all!" Rosalee chuckled.

A few bites into the meal, Rosalee spoke up. "Hey, do you remember yesterday at the spice shop when we were first introduced?"

The blonde looked away from her plate with a curious look on her face. "Yea."

"You looked startled when we shook hands."

"Oh, yea. I'm sorry about that. I was just surprised by your reaction when the baby kicked you." Lied Beth as she took a bite of her food.

Rosalee sighed, realizing the woman would be tightlipped about what she witnessed. As Beth looked down at her plate, Rosalee woged into her Fuchsbau form. "Do you know the Grimm fairytales?"

Wide eyed, Beth leaned back in her chair as she tried her best to keep a calm face. She nodded.

"I'm a Fuchsbau. My husband is a Blutbad and Nick can see what you see." Rosalee said calmly as she woged back to her human form.

The sound of plates being set on the table snapped Beth out of her shock. Monroe raised an eyebrow at his wife when the blonde looked down at her plate. "You told her, right?"

Beth didn't utter a word.

"Do you know of the Grimm fairytales?" Rosalee echoed. "They aren't fiction. You and Nick are relatives of people like the Grimm brothers."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Insisted Beth.

To test his wife's theory, Monroe woged as he sat down to see the blonde's reaction. Sure enough, Beth nearly jumped out of her seat from the shock. Her reaction confirmed the obvious. She was a Grimm. "Don't worry I won't huff and puff your house down." He said as he woged back.

"Monroe!" Rosalee shouted.

"Oh my god." Beth stood up and left the table.

From the kitchen, Nick had been watching the scene taking place. Beth was headed for the back gate. Quickly, he went to the front yard to stop her. "Hey, hey!" Nick said as he stopped her at the side of the house.

Feeling trapped, she dodged pass him.

"Beth, I can see what they are too."

Disgusted Beth snapped. "You're crazy."

Nick followed her. "I know that Rosalee looks like a fox. I know Monroe looks like a wolf."

Beth stopped and looked over her shoulder to Nick. He was right. That's exactly what the couple had looked like.

"I know what you're going through. I thought I was crazy, but you have to trust me that what you're seeing is real."

Her heart was pounding in her chest and her ears rung. "Are you okay?" Nick asked as the woman paled.

Beth shook her head.

"Do you need some water?"

Quickly she sat down on the porch. "I need a moment." Beth rested her head in her palms.

The front door opened and Rosalee walked out with Juliette. The redhead looked at her fiancé, "Is she okay?"

Rosalee sat beside Beth. "I'm so sorry that Monroe did that. It's got to be a shock to the system, but we're your friends."

Overcome with emotion, Beth started to cry. "How do you know what I see?"

"We're Grimms. I've seen it for a long time." Said Nick.

"Do you all see it?" Sobbed Beth as Rosalee hugged her tightly.

Juliette sat on the other side of Beth. "I didn't believe it either when Nick first told me."

"I promise you, you're not the only one who sees these things." Rosalee said as she pulled away from Beth.

"So wait," Beth paused, turning to Juilette. "What are you?"

"I'm a human." Juliette responded. "I can't see Rosalee unless she shows me."

"But I'm human." Beth exclaimed.

"Yes, but you're a Grimm also." Said Rosalee.

Beth ran her hand through her hair. "What's a Grimm?"

The three friends looked at each other, unsure how to explain what a Grimm was. Rosalee was the first to say something. "It's someone who can see things other people don't understand. Someone who can see the truth."

Exhaling deeply, Beth looked at Rosalee. "So Juliette is a human. Nick and I are Grimms. What are you called?"

"I'm Wesen. Specifically a Fuchsbau." Rosalee gave her a reassuring look.

"Why do Grimms only see Wesen?"

"We see them so we can protect humans." Nick said. "Not all Wesen are dangerous."

Instantly, Nick's explanation made her think back to when she first started to see the animalistic faces. "Do Wesen not like Grimms?"

"Some. Most are afraid." Nick leaned against the porch.

Juliette went to her fiancé's side. "Why do you ask?"

Beth looked at the ground. "I've been attacked before."

"Oh." Juliette breathed.

"Is this hereditary?"

Nick nodded.

Her heart sunk.

"What's wrong?"

The blonde struggled to find the right words. "My parents-I was adopted. About a year after I started to see these faces, they died from a gas leak in our house. It was strange—I thought maybe someone murdered them because I was seeing things. I thought I was paranoid, but maybe someone thought they were Grimms…"

"I'm sorry to hear that." Juliette said softly.

"Grimms and Wesen have a long history, but not all Wesen dislike Grimms." Rosalee stated as she wrapped an arm around Beth's shoulders. "Most are just fearful of them."

How ironic. They were fearful of her and she was fearful of them. Finally, Beth asked. "Why are you telling me this?"

"After Rosalee told us about what happened at the shop, we thought it was important that you know the truth." Nick spoke up. "Since you were adopted, it makes sense that you wouldn't know anything about this."

"The truth." Beth sighed. "This is a lot to process."

"If you have questions, you can ask any of us." Juliette mentioned.

The blonde stood up. "I'm sure I will. I just need to have some time to wrap my head around this."

"Are you still going to come to the wedding tomorrow?" Juilette asked. "We don't mean to scare you off."

Beth shook her head. "No, no. I'm not scared off. I will definitely be there tomorrow."

Rosalee stood and wrapped her arms around the blonde. "You're a good person, Beth."

"Thanks." Beth said as she pulled away from the hug. "Thank you for telling me."


End file.
